Create a new Google Calendar in three steps

Open Google Calendar in your web browser and sign in to your Google account. On the left side of the screen, find the section labeled "My calendars" and look for a plus sign (+) next to it. Click that plus sign and select "Create new calendar" from the menu that appears.

Give your calendar a name — something like "Family Schedule" or "Project Deadlines" — and add a description if you want one. The description is optional but useful if multiple people will use it and need to know what it's for. Then click "Create calendar" at the bottom of the form.

Your new calendar now appears in the "My calendars" list on the left. You can start adding events to it right away by clicking on any date or time slot. The calendar is private until you share it, so only you can see it at this point.

Key Takeaways

  • A new Google Calendar starts private and visible only to you until you actively share it with others.
  • You share a calendar by going to its settings, finding the "Share with specific people" section, and entering email addresses one at a time.
  • You can give different people different permission levels: view only, make changes, or manage the calendar and its sharing settings.
  • Anyone you share with can add the calendar to their own Google Calendar view without needing a separate account or password.

Share your calendar with specific people

Right-click on the calendar name in your "My calendars" list on the left side of the screen. A small menu appears — click "Settings and sharing." This opens the calendar's settings page.

Scroll down to the section labeled "Share with specific people." Click the "Add people" button or the plus sign in that section. A box appears where you can type or paste an email address. Enter the email address of the person you want to share with, then press Enter or Tab to move to the next field if you're adding multiple people.

Next to each email address, you'll see a dropdown menu showing permission levels. The default is usually "Make changes to events." Your options are:

  • See all event details: The person can view your calendar and see all event titles, times, and descriptions, but cannot add, edit, or delete events.
  • Make changes to events: The person can view your calendar and add, edit, or delete events on it.
  • Make changes and manage sharing: The person can do everything above plus add or remove other people from the calendar and change their permission levels.

Choose the permission level that matches what you need, then click "Send" or "Share." Google sends an email notification to that person with a link to view or access the calendar.

Share your calendar with a link instead of email addresses

If you want to share your calendar with many people or with people whose email addresses you don't have, use the link-sharing option instead. Go to your calendar's settings the same way: right-click the calendar name and select "Settings and sharing."

Look for the section labeled "Share with specific people" and scroll down slightly. You'll see an option that says something like "Get link" or shows a link icon. Click it to generate a shareable link to your calendar.

You can copy this link and send it to anyone — through email, text, social media, or any other method. Anyone who clicks the link can view your calendar without needing a Google account. However, link-sharing does not let you control who sees it or change permissions for individual people. Everyone with the link has the same access level.

If you want to stop sharing via link, return to this same section and click "Disable link sharing" or a similar option. The link stops working immediately, and anyone who had it can no longer access your calendar.

Change or remove someone's access

Go back to your calendar's settings by right-clicking the calendar name and selecting "Settings and sharing." In the "Share with specific people" section, find the person whose access you want to change.

To change their permission level, click the dropdown menu next to their email address and select a different level. To remove them entirely, click the trash icon or "Remove" button next to their name. The change takes effect immediately — they lose access right away if you remove them.

If someone is sharing the calendar with you and you want to stop seeing it, you can remove it from your own calendar view without affecting anyone else. Find the calendar in your "My calendars" list, right-click it, and select "Unsubscribe" or "Remove." This only removes it from your view; the calendar still exists and other people can still access it if they were shared with.

Add a shared calendar to your own view

When someone shares a calendar with you, you receive an email with a link or a notification in Google Calendar itself. Click the link or the notification to open the shared calendar. You'll see a button that says "Add to calendar" or a plus sign — click it to add the calendar to your own "My calendars" list.

Once you add it, the shared calendar appears alongside your own calendars on the left side of your screen. You can view it, and depending on the permission level the owner gave you, you may be able to add or edit events on it. The calendar stays in your view until you remove it, even if the owner stops sharing it with you later.

Troubleshoot common sharing problems

If someone says they didn't receive a sharing notification, check that you entered their email address correctly. Google Calendar does not send a reminder if the address is wrong — the share simply fails silently. Ask them to confirm their email address and try adding them again.

If someone can see the calendar but cannot make changes even though you gave them permission, they may need to refresh their browser or sign out and back in to Google. Permission changes sometimes take a few minutes to appear. If it's been more than an hour and they still can't edit, double-check the permission level you assigned them in the calendar settings.

If you shared a calendar via link and someone says the link doesn't work, the link-sharing may have been disabled. Return to the calendar settings and check whether link-sharing is currently on or off. You can regenerate a new link if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I share a calendar with someone who doesn't have a Google account?

Yes, if you use link-sharing. Anyone can click a shared calendar link and view it in their web browser without signing in. However, if you want to give specific permission levels to specific people, they need a Google account so you can share with their email address.

What happens if I delete an event from a shared calendar?

If you have permission to edit events, deleting an event removes it for everyone who can see that calendar. The event disappears from all their views. If you only have view-only access, you cannot delete events at all.

Can I share a calendar with someone outside my organization?

Yes. Google Calendar sharing works with any email address, whether it's a Gmail account, a work email, or any other email provider. The person doesn't need to work at your company or use the same email service you do.

How do I know if someone has actually added my shared calendar to their view?

Google Calendar does not notify you when someone adds a shared calendar to their own view. You can only know if they tell you or if you see them adding events to it. Adding a shared calendar to their view is optional — they can see it without adding it.

Can I set different permissions for different people on the same calendar?

Yes. Each person you share with can have a different permission level. One person might have view-only access while another can edit events and a third can manage sharing. You control each person's level individually in the calendar settings.